Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Protective Influence Of Mindfulness Facets On The Relationship Between Negative Core Beliefs And Social Media Addiction Among Latinx College Students, Mariany Gainza Perez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Social media use has continued to rise over the last decade. This behavioral addiction shares essential components with substance addictions (e.g., mood modification, withdrawal). Dysfunctional core beliefs have recently been investigated in relation to Internet addiction and problematic Facebook use, but not with social media addiction specifically. Similarly, mindfulness-based interventions have been developed for various types of technology-related behavioral addictions, yet the relationship between dispositional mindfulness and social media addiction remains unexplored. This study investigated the relationships between these constructs among Latinx undergraduates within the context of social cognitive theory. Participants (n=386; 80.3% female) completed an online survey that assessed …

The Physiological Factors Of Diabetes And Their Effect On The Cognitive And Emotional Functioning In Older Populations: A Secondary Data Analysis, Celeste Anahi Alvidrez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background: The rates of Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) have increased over the past 20 years in all age groups. The physiological factors that underlie T2D could have impact on specific brain pathways that support cognitive and emotional functioning. Aims and Objective: The goal of this study was to examine whether older Mexican American individuals with a history of T2D were more likely to develop later cognitive impairment and/or depression. Hypotheses: It was predicted that elderly participants (mean age at time of interview = 87.87 years) with a history of T2D onset prior to age 65, are more likely to have …

Tobacco Trends In A Young Adult Hispanic Population, Gabrielle Mendoza

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death in the United States (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019). Rates of smoking cigarettes have declined steadily from 20.9 percent in 2005 to 14 percent in 2017 (Wang, et al., 2018), but there is a rise in popularity and use of Electronic Nicotine Delivery System (ENDS). The current study focuses on tobacco trends of a young adult Hispanic population. There were a total of 20 participants over a span of 14 single and group interviews with 1-3 people per session. 19 participants reported having tried, used, or currently use novel tobacco …

Risk And Protective Factors Associated With Excessive Social Media Use, Addiction, And Reduction In A Hispanic/Latinx College Student Sample, Marcos Lerma

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The literature on social media as a behavioral addiction has grown considerably over the past decade. Excessive social media use and social media addiction have been associated with multiple adverse health consequences. Nevertheless, there is a paucity of research assessing potential risk and protective factors for social media use, social media addiction, failure to control oneâ??s social media use, and motivation to reduce social media use in a Hispanic/Latinx sample. This study aimed to fill this gap in the literature by assessing potential risk and protective factors within the National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities Research Framework. Hispanic/Latinx …

The Efficacy Of Brief Individual And Group Interventions Among Light And Intermittent Smokers, Beatriz Suro Maldonado

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Despite the decline in daily smoking between 2005 to 2013, light and intermittent smoking rates have increased. Few studies assessing smoking cessation in light (â?¤10 cigarettes per day) and intermittent smokers (nondaily smoking; LITS) exist. The current study assessed the efficacy of a brief smoking intervention for light smokers in a predominantly Hispanic young adult sample. Several smoking cessation predictors were identified. Two hundred fifty two light and intermittent smokers were recruited primarily from community health clinics and the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). Participants completed baseline measures assessing socio demographics, tobacco use and history, stage of change, …

The Persistent Fear Of Crime In A Safe Metropolitan Area: The Continual Impact Of Social Disorganization, Guillermo Rivas

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

While the association between physical and social disorder on crime have been established (Skogan, 1990), it is less clear how they influence fear of crime. Fear of crime is important to consider given that is can decrease both physical and mental health (Gee & Payne-Sturges, 2004). Utilizing data based on a randomly selected household survey in El Paso County, Texas (N= 1,070) I seek to examine the influence of physical and social disorders and social cohesion on fear of crime. OLS linear regression results illustrate the persistent impact of physical and social disorders regardless of neighborhood characteristics of poverty and …

The Sweet Taste Of Health: A Positive Deviance Inquiry Into Communicative Acts That Lead To Effective Management Of Diabetes Among Hispanics, Claudia Martinez Boyd

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Diabetes is among the fastest growing diseases in the world. In the U.S., Hispanics are the third most affected population. Nonetheless, there are Hispanics diagnosed with diabetes who have, against all odds, found solutions to manage their disease. This study focused on the intrapersonal and interpersonal acts and behaviors of "positive deviant" Hispanics living on the U.S. - Mexico border that effectively managed their diabetes. They are referred to as "positive deviants" because they accrue "positive" outcomes and "deviants" because they are not the norm.

A PD inquiry was conducted and twelve PD respondents between the ages of 20 …

The Multicultural Study Of Psychopathy: An Examination Of Latin American Differences, Chelsea Spraberry Tekell

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Psychopathy is a personality disorder that is composed of characteristics that include poverty of empathy, lack of anxiety or fear, impulsive actions, and manipulation of others. The definition and measurement of psychopathy has changed over time and remains controversial. Ethnicity is an under researched area of psychopathy. In particular, previous psychopathy research has focused primarily on European American men. Despite increased attention to differences between African Americans and European Americans, Latin Americans continue to be overlooked, with only a small number of studies examining psychopathy among individuals from Latin ethnicities. The current study is among the first to examine psychopathy …

Perspectives On The Nature Of Science From A Group Of Students Attending Predominantly Hispanic West Texas High School, Cameron King Wilson

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The United States is falling far behind the rest of the world in its ability to fulfill its needs for qualified workers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. The Hispanic population is now the largest minority in the United States but is proportionally underrepresented in the STEM fields today. It is shown that students who have a good understanding of the Nature of Science (NOS) are far more likely to be interested in science which may lead to an interest in careers in STEM fields. There is very little if any research identifying Hispanic high school students' view …

Predictors Of Resilience Among Hispanic Adults: Stepwise Analyses From Late Adolescence To Adulthood, Katherine Marie Aguirre

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background: The focus of this study was factors that affect resilience as a health outcome among Hispanic adults. Some Hispanics and other members of disadvantaged and vulnerable populations have developed remarkable ways of coping with adversity, such as positive reframing (Farley, Galves, Dickinson, & Perez, 2005). Purpose: This research aimed to examine various ways of coping in response to difficult life situations for Hispanic adults and identify those that are associated with resilient outcomes. Methods: The present sub-study focused on difficult life problem narratives from the semi-structured interviews conducted in Dr. Felipe González Castro's Corazón projects (Castro, Kellison, Boyd & …

Mental Health In A Colonia, Guadalupe Marquez-Velarde

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Mental health outcomes in colonias are the main focus of this thesis. They were examined in the colonia of Westway, which is an unplanned settlement in El Paso County with high poverty rates and adjacent to the Interstate highway, a steel plant and other polluting industries with a 97.3% Hispanic population (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census). Data were collected through a door-to-door social survey in order to achieve three research objectives. In the first objective, I compared the prevalence of mental health outcomes in Westway and El Paso and found that the colonia residents do have significantly higher rates of …

Low Birth Weight, Prenatal Smoking, Pest Exposure And Breastfeeding Modify The Effect Of Acculturation On Hispanic Children's Asthma, Paola Chavez Payan

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Prior research suggests that Hispanic migrants in the U.S. experience better respiratory health than their U.S.-born counterparts; this is reflective of a Hispanic health paradox (HHP). I address the following research questions with a focus on the HHP among children in the urban US border setting of El Paso, Texas: 1) Does acculturation relate to current asthma symptoms and diagnosed asthma? 2) Does the relationship between acculturation and current asthma symptoms and diagnosed asthma persist when controlling for relevant risk factors? 3) How does acculturation modify the relationships between the risk factors and current asthma symptoms and diagnosed asthma? Data …

Correlates Of Overweight And Obesity In A Hispanic Community Sample, Julie Ann Blow

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

There is a dearth of literature regarding culturally- and theoretically-based constructs related to weight control in Hispanic populations. Aims of this study included observing culturally and theoretically based correlates of weight and waist circumference in an overweight / obese Hispanic sample. Data were collected from 232 participants at a local health care clinic. Measures included demographics, cultural constructs, and theoretical constructs from Self-Determination Theory (SDT), the Transtheoretical Model (TTM), and Social Cognitive Theory (SCT). Participants completed paper and pencil measures in English or Spanish and had height, weight, and waist circumference measured. Inferential analyses used hierarchical regression models to predict …

Correlates Of Marijuana Use In A Hispanic College Sample, Joseph Ephraim Charter

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Currently there is a dearth of literature regarding marijuana and its correlates of use, particularly in Hispanics. Marijuana is the most widely used illicit drug, and its use has increased in recent years. This study aimed to assess correlates of marijuana use in a Hispanic college student sample. Data were collected from 549 participants from University psychology courses. Participants completed a comprehensive survey packet consisting of: demographics, marijuana use history, tobacco and alcohol use, depression, anxiety, stress, and acculturation. Descriptive analyses were used to provide a characteristic profile of Hispanic college student marijuana use. Eight percent reported past 30-day marijuana …

Communicative Practices That Lead To Timely High School Graduation Against All Odds: A Positive Deviance Inquiry In A Predominantly Hispanic School, Patricia Teresa A

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The school dropout rate among Hispanics is a major financial, educational, and public concern in the United States. However, some school districts that primarily enroll Hispanic students are succeeding in retaining and graduating their students against all odds, utilizing resources already present within their community. These institutions are "positive deviants" - they are "deviants" because they are not the norm and "positive" because they embody desirable outcomes. In such high schools are enrolled students, who against all odds, work their way to timely graduation. They are positive deviants within their institution. The present study conducted in a U.S.-Mexico border city …

/Ae/ And /E/ In El Paso English, Lance Levi Williams

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The production and perception of front vowels /ae/ and /e/ by El Paso residents was examined in a pilot study to begin to establish linguistic variables in an understudied yet dynamic speech community and explore the question of the unity of the speech community and possible influence of L2 English speakers on L1 English speakers. 25 subjects, males age 19 to 34, were given both tests of perception and production, and these results were analyzed with respect to their social and linguistic backgrounds. In general, subjects in the Anglo group appeared to be more united in their production and perception …

A Positive Deviance Inquiry Of Communicative Behaviors That Influence The Prevention Of Hispanic Teenage Pregnancy, Alejandra Margarita Diaz Salamanca

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Teenage pregnancy is a highly complex problem and the arrival of a baby affects multiple lives - directly and indirectly - in a rippling chain reaction. The odds of finishing school or college are highly stacked against teenage parents, and the future of the children who are born to teen parents is fraught with challenges. Rates of teenage pregnancy are especially high among Hispanics, and even higher among those who live in the border city of El Paso, This research project was an exploration of what communicative behaviors keep some young Hispanic women in the city of El Paso free …

The Effects Of Acculturation On Healthcare In The Mexican-Origin Community: El Paso County, Texas, Aurelio Saldana

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This study was built around the understanding that there is complexity in the "Hispanic"¹ health care/acculturation phenomenon. The El Paso region provides an environment where an array of cultural influences produces an acculturation process whose dynamics appear to be unique but in fact are not dissimilar to other regions where cultures are coming into contact with each other. The way borderland acculturation manifests itself in local "Hispanic" healthcare behaviors contradicts the concept of the neat move from "traditional" to the "formal" biomedical paradigm. The actual behavior observed adds support to the more complex, segmented, multi-dimensional interpretations of healthcare behavior adaptation …